Developing proper batting technique is essential for baseball and softball players. A good swing requires considerable coordination and precise positioning of the batter's legs, torso, and arms during the swing which vary depending on the position of the ball when entering the strike zone. A need exists for a device that enables the batter to practice his or her swing with the correct body movements when swinging at different pitches in the strike zone, e.g., low and away, high and inside, etc.
To develop such skills, a batter must practice repeatedly hitting balls in these various positions so the batter can learn the correct body movement for each pitch. It is difficult for any pitcher to consistently throw the ball in certain areas of the strike zone to allow a batter to practice repeatedly swing at a particular pitch. While automatic pitching machines may be set up to consistently pitch the ball into different areas of the strike zone, the availability of such machines and the ability to set up the machines to consistently pitch balls into different areas of the strike zone are generally available only to professional and college players. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that allows a ball to be positioned in a particular location within the strike zone consistently, so the batter can practice repeatedly hitting the ball in that position to develop the proper body motion for hitting the ball in that location and so a batting coach can observe the batter as he or she swings at the ball to offer suggestions to improve the batter's technique and body motion during the swing.
Additionally, a batter needs to develop timing and body movements in order to effectively hit different pitches. For example if the ball is pitched toward the inside of the strike zone (an “inside pitch”), the batter needs to learn timing to get the bat in front of the plate as the ball enters the strike zone. Alternatively, if the ball is pitched toward the outside of the strike zone (an “outside pitch”), the batter needs to learn timing and body movement to hit the ball further back or rearward of the front to the plate. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that allows the ball position to be quickly and easily positioned toward the front of the plate when practicing for hitting inside pitches and rearward of the front of the plate when practicing for hitting outside pitches.